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2011-02-24

HUGE day today …. today it was announced at my company that I was leaving to take this trip. Huge swirls of emotions raged through me all day long. I've spent nearly a decade of my life involved with IHG, and I love the company very much. Lots of good people creating a great product for world. My last day in the office will be next Friday. I'm going to miss this work place so much when I go. Bye bye IHG, thank you for everything.

2011-02-22

Today we received a number of emails pointing us to the story about the 4 American's killed by the pirates just off the horn of Africa. Interlaced within the emails were loving sentiments of concern. Thank you for all the concern. We want to chronicle in the diary what our thinking is on this.

Pirates are real, and not just as some fad because of Jack Sparrow. There is a large population of people whom make their way through this world through piracy. I suspect their have been pirates about as long as there have been people taking to boats.

There is risk in taking this journey. There is a risk that we could be captured and killed by pirates, like the 4 Americans who died today, or that we make a mistake and sail into a horrible storm.

It is our belief that there is no more risk taken by this journey, as it relates to mortality, than there is staying in the US living normal lives. It may be possible to argue, in fact, that it is safer to go on the trip.

Deaths in the US attributed to homicide in 2007, according to the CDC, was 18,361. This means, on average, 50 people a day are killed in the USA. Every day, on average, more than 2 people every hour are murdered in the USA.

Deaths in the US attributed to accidental causes in 2007, according to the CDC, was 123,726. This means, on average, 339 people a day accidentally die in the USA. Every day, on average, more than 14 people every hour die from an accidental cause in the USA.

4 American's were captured by pirates and killed. Tragedy. How many American's have died this way in say the past 10 years? I can't seem to find the answer, which in and of itself is a directional arrow that it isn't that many. We know that none have made the news in the past few years, which is why the 4 recent deaths are getting so much air time.

Loading the family up on the sailboat and venturing off into the world is a risky proposition. I would submit that it is no more risky than living the typical American life. If something happens to our family on this trip, it will be devastating. If something happens to our family while not on the trip, it will be devastating. Not taking the trip because of a fear that something might happen, and that something is super remote, that is devastating.

2011-02-14

The car tags were due to expire last week, so we faced a dilemma: renew the cars for another year or sell them and go car less. We decided to go 50/50; we renewed Val's Hyundai, and sold my Buick. As when I sold my dune buggy, the letting go was harder than I thought it would be.

Driving away, watching the Buick sitting there on the car lot, it felt like we were leaving a family member behind. 5 years of wonderful memories streamed through me; the new baby coming home, trips to Disney, celebrating a promotion, and more very personal moments were relived in a flash. Val and I both felt the sadness tug as the Buick waved good bye in our rear view mirror. Only a few words were exchanged on the way home, and KJ beautifully asked why we were leaving daddy's car. “It is time for it to go KJ, daddy sold it so we can take our trip.”

We wish the black Buick Rainier well and ask that its future owner take good care of it. The Buick will create a world of wonderful memories for you too. Bye bye Buick. Thank you.

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This is our online diary containing random activities, events, opinions, and thoughts. The intention of these pages is to serve as a chronicle for our family; any value beyond this is a happy coincidence.